Shoe-fastener



(No Model.)

B. MAYNZ.

SHOE FASTENER. No. 391,906. Patented Oct. 30, 1888.

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ED\VARD MAYNZ, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,906, dated Qetobsr 30, 1888.

Application filed April 26. 1888.

place of a buckle for the purpose of fastening I together the forward ends of the quarter of a boot or shoe over the upper at the instep,and for other similar purposes.

The invention will be described first and then particularly claimed.

Figure l is a plan view of a fastening device embodying this invention with the parts in the position assumed when the members of the fastening are engaged with one another; Figs. 2 and 3, plan views of the two members of the fastening separate; Fig. 4, a longitudinal section showing the two members fastened together, as in Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a side elevation of the two members of the fastening device separate from one another but attached to the parts to be fastened together by them; Fig. 6, a perspective view of the fastening-lever detached; and Fig. 7, a section similar to Fig. 4, but showing the fasteninglever in position to permit the separation ofthe two fastening members.

The fastening is composed of two members,

a and I), each of which is fastened to one of the portions 0 and d (see Fig. 5) of the shoe or other article, which parts are to be held together by said fastening. As shown in Fig. 5, the parts 0 and cl are looped through eyes or openings ab (see Figs. 2 and 3) in the two members of the fastening. The member a consists of a strip of metal,which may be curved, as shown in Figs. et and 5, to correspond to the part of the foot over which it is fastened, when used as ashoe-fastening,and the said strip is corrugated or formed into a series of alternate projections, o and intermediate depressions or recesses, also that its upper surface is somewhat similar to the periphery of a rack or gear. The other member, b, consists of a base I) havin u )wardl turned vflan es or 7 1 a: y a

Serial No. 271.904. (No model.)

side pieces, b which constitute lugs or pivotbearings b for a holding-lever, I), having projections I) that pass through openings in the said lugs 12. The said lever b has a short arm or projection, b which, when the main or handle portion 1) of said lever is turned down rearwardly against the body of the fastening, as best shown in Fig. 4, enters one of the recesses a of the member a,and thereby fastens the said member against longitudinal movement in the member I). The short arm or projection b is rounded, as shown, and when the lever is turned down, as shown in Fig. 4., it clamps the corrugated strip between the lever and base-plate b", as shown in Fig. 4, thus holding the corrugated member securely. By lifting the handle Z) up or turning it, over, as shown in Fig. 7 ,the short arm I) is raised from the recesses a" and releases the member a of the fastening.

The base of the member Z) is curved to correspond with the curvature of the member a when the latter is curved, and, with the side flanges, b and fastening-lever I), wholly embraces the member a, which may be pushed forward into the member b until the parts,c d,t0 be fastened together are drawn sufliciently,this forward movement taking place While the fastening-lever b is turned upward, or in the position shown in Fig. 7, and when the two parts are drawn together sufficiently the lever is turned down, as shown in Fig. 4, effectually preventing the drawing apart of the members until the handle portion 1) of the lever is again raised. to the baseplate b when the parts are assembled. The relative arrangement of the short arm of the holding lever and its long arm to the fulcrum or pivotal axis is such that the strain of wear or'use tends always more firmly to unite or bind the parts together, and thus make the fastening more secure, and as the handle portion 1) rests upon the fastening, it serves to lock thelever against displacement in the line of the strain of wear or use. At the same time no difficulty will be experienced in unlocking the lever.

This fastening thus presents a simple, durable, and economical construction, and one very well adapted to its purposes.

Prior to my invention there has been made The plate a is immediately adjacent a clasp for harness-tugs composed of a box made of metal and receiving the two straps to be connected. One of these straps was corrugated transversely and upon it was laid a correspondingly-corrugated metal plate. The box was provided with bearings,which received a pin that supported alever having ears depending from opposite sides, and in the lower portions of these cars was jonrnaled a roller, which thus lay in a plane eccentric to the pin of the lever, so that the roller acted upon the corrugated plate after the manner of a cam to bind the plate and the two straps together in and with the box. Now, in my invention the lever has its shorter end formed as a cam,and its pivots are, together with the cam, integral with the lever,so that the whole device may be struck up from sheet metal in a very economical and expeditious manner. I dispense -entirely with the separate crimped plate as distinguished from a distinct fastening end.

I claim As an improved article of manufacture, the fastening for shoes and other articles, consisting of the corrugated plate a and the baseplate b immediately adjacent to the plate a, and having the lugs b and the lever b having the integral lateral projections b b,engaging the said lugs and forming a pivot or fulcrum for the lever, the integral curved down ward projection Z) in the rear of the pivot, to engage the corrugated plate, and the integral handle portion 1), thus constituting a lever of the first order or kind,and all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as shown and described. 1

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDtVARD MAYNZ.

\Vitnesses:

Jos. P. LWEnMoRn, M. E, HILL. 

